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United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2026
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← 2024
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| U.S. Senate, New Mexico |
|---|
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: February 3, 2026 |
| Primary: June 2, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd New Mexico elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
Voters in New Mexico will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 3, 2026. The primary is June 2, 2026. The filing deadline for candidates seeking pre-primary designation is February 3, 2026. Candidates who do not receive the party designation must file by March 10, 2026. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Ben Ray Luján (D), who first took office in 2021. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2026 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Toby Smith is running in the general election for U.S. Senate New Mexico on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Toby Smith (Jewish/Christian National Party) | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Incumbent Ben Ray Luján is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Ben Ray Luján | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Benjamin Luna is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Benjamin Luna | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in New Mexico
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Ray Luján | Democratic Party | $5,572,841 | $2,495,788 | $3,156,377 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Benjamin Luna | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Toby Smith | Jewish/Christian National Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in New Mexico, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 12/23/2025 | 12/16/2025 | 12/9/2025 | 12/2/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in New Mexico in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in New Mexico, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 2% of votes cast for all of the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last primary | N/A | TBD | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Libertarian | 2% of votes cast for all of the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last primary | N/A | TBD | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Republican | 2% of votes cast for all of the party's gubernatorial candidates in the last primary | N/A | TBD | Source |
| New Mexico | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 2% of all votes cast for governor in the last election | N/A | TBD | Source |
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2018.
2024
See also: United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Incumbent Martin Heinrich defeated Nella Domenici in the general election for U.S. Senate New Mexico on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Martin Heinrich (D) | 55.1 | 497,333 | |
| Nella Domenici (R) | 44.9 | 405,978 | ||
| Total votes: 903,311 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jerry Rose (Independent)
- Cameron Chick (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Incumbent Martin Heinrich advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Martin Heinrich | 100.0 | 122,961 | |
| Total votes: 122,961 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Nella Domenici advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Nella Domenici | 100.0 | 79,809 | |
| Total votes: 79,809 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Manuel Gonzales III (R)
- Robert Kwasny (R)
- Benjamin Luna (R)
- Reece Wright-McDonald (R)
- John Roberts (R)
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Ben Ray Luján defeated Mark Ronchetti and Bob Walsh in the general election for U.S. Senate New Mexico on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Ray Luján (D) | 51.7 | 474,483 | |
Mark Ronchetti (R) ![]() | 45.6 | 418,483 | ||
| Bob Walsh (L) | 2.6 | 24,271 | ||
| Total votes: 917,237 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Ben Ray Luján advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ben Ray Luján | 100.0 | 225,082 | |
| Total votes: 225,082 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Mark Ronchetti defeated Elisa Martinez and Gavin Clarkson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Mark Ronchetti ![]() | 56.5 | 89,216 | |
| Elisa Martinez | 26.1 | 41,240 | ||
| Gavin Clarkson | 17.4 | 27,471 | ||
| Total votes: 157,927 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mick Rich (R)
- Rick Montoya (R)
- Louie Sanchez (R)
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Bob Walsh advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Bob Walsh | 100.0 | 1,454 | |
| Total votes: 1,454 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate New Mexico
Incumbent Martin Heinrich defeated Mick Rich and Gary Johnson in the general election for U.S. Senate New Mexico on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Martin Heinrich (D) | 54.1 | 376,998 | |
| Mick Rich (R) | 30.5 | 212,813 | ||
| Gary Johnson (L) | 15.4 | 107,201 | ||
| Total votes: 697,012 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Aubrey Dunn (L)
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico's 1st | Melanie Ann Stansbury | D+7 |
| New Mexico's 2nd | Gabriel Vasquez | EVEN |
| New Mexico's 3rd | Teresa Leger Fernandez | D+3 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris |
Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico's 1st | 55.0% | 42.0% |
| New Mexico's 2nd | 48.0% | 50.0% |
| New Mexico's 3rd | 52.0% | 46.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 65.4% of New Mexicans lived in one of the state's 13 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 33.8% lived in one of 19 Solid Republican counties. Overall, New Mexico was Solid Democratic, having voted for Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Kamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in New Mexico following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| New Mexico county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 13 | 65.4% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 19 | 33.8% | |||||
| New Republican | 1 | 0.8% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 13 | 65.4% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 20 | 34.6% | |||||
Historical voting trends
New Mexico presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 17 Democratic wins
- 12 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | N/A | N/A | N/A | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in New Mexico.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of New Mexico
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in New Mexico.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of New Mexico's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from New Mexico | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 3 | 5 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in New Mexico's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
New Mexico State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 42 | |
New Mexico House of Representatives
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 44 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Trifecta control
New Mexico Party Control: 1992-2025
Eighteen years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
The table below details demographic data in New Mexico and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for New Mexico | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | United States | |
| Population | 2,117,522 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 121,312 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 53.6% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 2.1% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 9.5% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 12% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 20.9% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 48.2% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 87.7% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 30.2% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $62,125 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 18.1% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
= candidate completed the